Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa

Last weekend I went to Williamsburg.  I have been a few times before, but it is always a fun city to visit.

There is a section of the old part of town that has been converted into colonial Williamsburg.  You enter the shops and see people dressed up in 1770s garb and practicing a time appropriate trade.

They explain what they are doing, and you you get to ask them as many questions as you want.  You can also visit the Governors palace and the government building.

The employees are very knowledgeable about the time period and their trade.  We visit a book binder, a tailor, a wig maker, a gun smith, and a joiner.  We also went to a church and the government building.

It is a very fun and interactive way to learn history.  We went on a Friday, and it was blazing hot.  There were fewer people there because of the temperature.  It was nice that there weren't any crowds, but we were sweating profusely.

We also went to a water park.  I hadn't been to a water park in over a decade.  It was really enjoyable. It brought back fond memories of when going to a water park with my family as a child.  It was an enjoyable weekend that went my much too quickly.

The black bean burger recipe came from allrecipes.com.  The mango salsa recipe came from Food Network.  

The ingredients for the black bean burgers are 1 16-ounce can black beans, 1/2 cup red bell peppers, 1/2 onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 garlic cloves, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, and salt.

The ingredients for the salsa are 1 mango, 1/2 cucumber, 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño, 1/3 cup diced red onion, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/3 cup cilantro, salt, and pepper.

I grated the onion and red pepper.

I added extra virgin olive oil into a skillet over medium-high heat.  I added the grated onion, and red pepper.  I let this cook for about three minutes.

I added the garlic, cumin, and chili powder.  I let this mixture cook for another six or seven minutes.  I stirred regularly. 

I rinsed and drained the black beans.  I poured them into a bowl and mashed them.

I added the bread crumbs and egg to the mashed beans.

I added the Thai chili sauce and cooked onion mixture.

I mixed the beans together and and formed the mixture into four equal patties.   I placed the patties on a baking sheet lined with foil.  I baked them at 375 degrees for 16 minutes.  I flipped the patties after 8 minutes.

For the mango salsa, I chopped the onion and cucumber and added them to a bowl.

 I added the chopped mango and diced Jalapeño.

I added the lime juice and cilantro.  I mixed the salsa together and added a little bit of salt.

I served the salsa over the black bean burger.

The black bean burger was flavorful and tasty.  It had a smokey flavor.

 It was hearty and, the texture was tender.

The onion and red pepper added depth of flavor.

 The salsa was outstanding.  It was tropical and light.

The salsa was acidic and bright.

The salsa had a spicy kick but was also sweet.  The salsa was my favorite part. 

The burger was good too though.  It wasn't as good as a quality meat patty, but it was hearty and delicious.